Obama Statement on Committee Passage of the Farm Bill
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Printable FormatFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Amy Brundage, 202 228 5511
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the passage of the farm bill out of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee:
“I applaud Chairman Harkin for his tireless efforts on this bill, and for gaining important ground on many of the priorities for our family farmers. The bill maintains a strong safety net for family farmers, and provides more funding for conservation and nutrition and rural development. By increasing funding for renewable energy, the legislation recognizes those farmers who are working to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. I am pleased that it includes a provision I cosponsored to expand E-85 fuel infrastructure to help the ethanol and biofuels industry succeed.
“We need to do more to reform payment limits to make sure that farm program assistance is going to those who need it - family farm operations - not big agribusiness interests. I will support separate legislation sponsored by Senators Grassley, Dorgan and Harkin that will achieve the payment limitations we need to make sure our family farmers have the support from the federal government that they deserve.”